Matt x OC : What If You
by Molly.Munroe
Summary: Matt x OC. First Matt thing, so please be nice. :P Not good at summaries, so tough cookies. :D M for safety! Ever so safe.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Death Note or it's characters!**

"She's just like him."

Mello looked over at her, the new girl, sitting alone on the couch, staring at the window.

"How?" Matt asked.

"Look at her!"

Mello was stressed. He was just worried, that was all. Matt sighed.

"Get to know her before you make judgments, Mello."

"I already know she's just like Near."

"No, you don't. Calm down."

"Shut up, Matt, why don't you get to know her?"

Mello was fuming.

Matt couldn't stand it when he acted like this, so he walked over to the girl and smiled.

"My name's Matt."

She looked up. She had brown hair that skimmed her collarbones. Her caramel colored eyes glanced up at him and locked with his momentarily before she looked away.

"Your friend doesn't like me."

"Is it obvious?"

"No, I just heard him yelling."

Matt laughed.

"Yeah, Mello can be pretty loud."

The girl smiled at him.

"I was told I wasn't supposed to tell anyone my real name. They said it didn't exist anymore."

"Did they give you another name?"

"Yeah."

She looked away.

"I don't like it."

"What is it?"

"Erin."

Matt smiled.

"I think it's a nice name."

"I like **my** name better."

Matt watched as her lip trembled.

"What's your real name?"

His voice was low and careful, quiet and gentle, afraid of somehow hurting the fragile girl before him.

"I'll tell you my real name, too, but you have to keep it a secret."

Erin looked at him.

"Jaime Webber."

"Mail Jeevas."

Erin smiled.

"I like that name. It's different."

Matt laughed.

"I have to call you Erin, you know."

"That's okay. At least someone **knows** who I am."

Matt smiled.

"Well, you know who I am."

Erin smiled.

"I guess I do."

"Do you like video games?"

The question seemed to take Erin aback at first, but then she smiled and laughed.

"I **own** video games, Matt."

Matt smirked.

"We'll see about that."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Matt looked over at Mello.

He was staring at Erin, who had warmed up to the idea of living at Wammy's House. There was a pained look on his face.

"She's not so bad."

"I know, that's not why I'm staring."

"Then why are you staring?"

Mello looked at him.

"I'm trying to figure her out."

He looked back at Erin, who had an animal cracker protruding from her lip as she typed rapidly on the keyboard, her eyes scanning the computer screen.

"She's intelligent, and beautiful, and kind. She likes what you like, what I like. She's quiet when she doesn't know someone, but when she warms up, she releases herself to the world. She doesn't care about being the next L, and yet, she's still here. Then there's the way she looks at you."

Matt froze.

"What are you talking about, Mello?"

"The way her eyes seem softer, brighter, full of emotion. I'm not stupid, Matt. She likes you. Then there's the way you look at her."

Matt shook his head, and snorted.

"I look at her like I look at you."

"I sure as hell hope not, Matt."

"Why not?"

Matt looked at Mello, who was looking at him.

"You like her, too. There's confusion, obvious discomfort when you don't know where she is or who she's with, obvious affection. Then when you two are together, you seem to fit. Like you two are connected by inner strings, pulling you together. Things are natural, and they happened naturally."

"Mello, you're losing it."

"No I'm not, Matt. Say what you want, I know you like her."

Mello stood and walked over to Erin, sitting beside her. Matt watched them carefully, trying to make out what they were saying from Erin's facial reactions. She quickly chomped on the animal cracker, making short work of it, and took the bit of chocolate Mello offered her. She smiled.

Obviously, Mello didn't have a problem with her anymore.

Obviously, Mello just happened to be a genius, or a mind reader.

Matt really, very, obviously liked Erin.

He sighed, standing up and walking over to them. He perked up when Erin looked at him, a grin on her face.

"Hey, there, Matt."

"Hey, there, Erin, how's it going?"

"Pretty good."

She looked at the computer screen.

"I managed to hack the local gamer sites, so now, in a matter of minutes, we'll be getting free games."

The computer suddenly buzzed, and the screen went blank.

Erin literally deflated.

"Or I'm going to get in deep shit for screwing with the computer again."

Matt and Mello laughed, and Erin couldn't help but giggle.

"C'mon, let's go tell them what I did."

They walked to Roger's office, but paused outside the half-open door. They could hear him talking with L through the computer.

"Ssh, I want to hear this." Matt whispered.

They crouched beside the door.

"Near, Mello and Matt are the top three choices."

"What about the girl? That... Webber girl?"

"Oh, well, she's very intelligent, but lazy. She doesn't hand anything in, claims not to want to succeed you. If it was true, she would've left by now, don't you think?"

There was a nervous laugh on Roger's part.

"Interesting. Tell me, how intelligent is she?"

"Well, if she tried, she could match Near. Perhaps exceed him, I honestly don't know. She's never tried, never applied herself in her academics."

"How do you figure she could match your top student?"

"Well, she's constantly hacking the computers here, but that could just mean she's technologically intelligent. Other than that, the signs of the work she does manage to hand in, it's… brilliant."

"Do you think she could be the next L, Roger?"

"Well, I don't know… she doesn't want to be."

"I didn't ask about her preferences. Does she have the determination, the drive, to be me? To be me when I'm gone?"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Yes."

Another short pause.

"Watari, what's this girl's name?"

Watari was obviously in the room.

"Jaime Webber, alias Erin."

"Hm… what do you think of the letter E, gentlemen?"

Erin couldn't stand it.

She stood up and ran away from her friends, away from the door, away from the possibility of having to be something she was in no way ready to be.

Matt watched her run away, and looked at Mello, who was shaking.

"Just like him."

He muttered it slowly, violently. Animal-like rage shone in his eyes.

"Just like him."

His eyes glazed over with anger, violence, a need for relief.

"**Just fucking like him.**"

Mello rose and walked away, glaring at Matt.

He knew Matt wouldn't abandon Erin for him.

Matt knew Mello would never let this go.

He rose and walked to Erin's room, slowly.

His hands were trembling. Matt didn't know what to say. Usually confident, if not bordering cocky, he never froze. But this was different. This was Erin. **Erin**. She wasn't some game he could play. There were no cheat codes he could use to hack her and make her play to his whim. There was nothing he could do but tremble and pray. Hope to God she was okay. Hope to God she liked him back.

His hand rose to her door, knocking shakily.

"What?"

Her voice was ice, cold and uninviting.

"It's me."

Silence.

"It's Matt."

Silence.

"Please let me in."

The door opened slowly.

Those caramel colored eyes were watery, her face on the verge of breaking. So much pain concealed in such a beautiful face, meant only for a cheerful smile and a laugh.

"Please, Erin?"

Erin nodded, letting him in carefully.

He stepped into her messy room. Clutter was everywhere, but he couldn't blame her. His room was worse.

"You okay?"

"Nope."

She walked over to her bed, lying down on her back, her eyes burning a hole in the ceiling.

Matt sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

"May I?"

"Don't care."

Matt lay beside her, his head close to hers, his body aligned with hers. He could feel her presence beside him. She was warm.

"You want to talk?"

"You want to listen?"

Matt turned his head.

Erin was facing him, their faces close enough to feel each other's breath.

"Yes."

Erin looked at the ceiling.

"I don't want to be L. I never want to be L. I don't want to be a letter. I want to be a human, and I want to be able to be with other people. I don't want to hide. Ever. And…"

Her voice broke.

"I don't want Mello to hate me."

Matt watched her.

"Mello's childish. He'll get over it. Don't worry about him."

Matt's voice was soft.

"You have me."

Erin looked at him and smiled, tears falling from her stunning eyes.

"Thank you, Matt."

Matt smiled back, and watched her as she looked back at the ceiling.

"They want me to be E. I can't. I can't be a letter. I have a hard time being Erin. I'm losing myself already. I can't remember anything from my past, nothing about my parents."

Matt nodded.

"It's hard."

"Yupp."

Matt closed his eyes.

"Want to take a nap, Matt?"

Matt looked at her.

"Sure."

Erin snuggled into him, her arm falling over his body, her legs tangling with his.

"Won't Mello be angry that you're with me and not him?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to go check on him?"

Matt closed his eyes and smiled.

He tangled his fingers in her soft hair, the other hand enveloping hers.

"Nope."


	2. Chapter 2

Matt's eyes opened, and searched the room.

"Matt, you need to go."

Erin was sitting on the windowsill, her legs dangling outside, her arms folded on the frame, her chin rested comfortably on her arms. She had opened the window so that her face wasn't pressed up against the glass.

She was beautiful.

Matt sat up, and he rubbed his eyes.

"Why, you don't want me in here anymore?"

Erin closed her eyes.

"Come here, and look out the window with me."

Matt shook his head, grinning.

He stood up, and made his way over to the window, tripping over a few pairs of discarded jeans and a few shirts here and there. Matt was grateful she couldn't see him having to shake a pair of her underwear off of his foot.

Snaking his arms around her waist and putting his chin on her shoulder, he smiled.

"Where am I looking?"

"The garden."

Erin's eyes were still closed, her face still in the same kind of guilt-ridden pain Matt thought he had gotten rid of earlier in the day.

Matt stood up straight, having to let go of Erin (to his disappointment), and he saw the point of both her guilt and pain.

Mello was sitting in the garden, something he rarely did unless he had to. Mello didn't enjoy being outdoors, especially not alone. Even though he was on his own a lot, people didn't know that like the average human being, Mello craved attention and affection. Even if his brain ran faster, processed better and was clearer than the average human being. He was still a human being at heart.

"He looks so alone."

Erin's voice was shaking.

"Yeah."

"You need to go talk to him, and spend time with him, Matt. You're the only person he trusts."

Matt looked at her, almost wanting to scream in pain; just looking at the sadness and misplaced guilt and desperation for Mello made him crack. That sadness wasn't meant to be there.

"He trusts you."

"Not anymore."

Erin opened her eyes, staring at him.

"Roger, and Watari, and L… they ruined that. I tried so hard to get him to just like me, Matt. I knew he resented me because he thought I was like Near. Then he couldn't trust me, just because Near spoke to me… just because someone other than you showed me kindness. He finally told me he was sorry, for treating me badly because he made a misjudgment. Mello… I just wanted Mello to like me, Matt. If I can't fix it, I'm not letting you ruin your relationship with him. So go and let him know there's always someone in his corner."

Matt stared out at Mello.

"He'll never let me be in yours."

Erin looked at him.

"He needs you more, Matt. I respect him too much to take away the only person he's got in this world."

Matt smiled.

"I'm still going to keep coming back, Erin."

Erin chuckled.

"If you can manage that, **and** manage not to get your head bitten off by Mello, be my guest."

Matt poked her in the side, earning a surprised yip.

"Matt, don't do that, you weenie!"

Erin looked up at him, now facing him, her arms helping her balance herself as she came back into the room from her comfortable looking perch.

"Weenie?"

Erin stuck out her tongue.

"Yes, weenie. Now go! Mello needs you."

Erin smiled as she stood up straight, looking up into Matt's eyes.

Matt smiled, and wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her surprise, as she was usually the one to instigate the hugs. But then she relaxed, and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close to her.

"Thanks, Matt."

"Erin…?"

Matt pulled away, looking into her eyes.

Those eyes that made him weak, those eyes that made him feel strong, respected, needed, wanted. Those eyes said everything for Erin, all the time. But Matt was too much of a weenie to figure it out half the time. He just wanted to tell her everything.

"Thanks, for… you know. Understanding with Mello, even though he doesn't deserve it. I mean… he should've been here with me, checking on you. You didn't deserve that from him. I'm just glad that…"

He pulled her into another hug, trying to hide the obvious nervous charm glinting in his eyes.

"I'm glad that you're a good person. I'm glad you still respect him, even though… even though he's…"

He smirked.

"Even though he's a weenie."

Erin let out a giggle, hugging Matt tightly.

"Thanks, Matt."

Matt pulled away, and smiled down at Erin.

He forced himself out of the room, not wanting to leave the comfort of her presence.

As he walked down the hallways, trying to find his way in the dark, he played out numerous scenarios in his head. None of them worked for him. None of them let him say anything. They all ended with Erin crying, Erin laughing, Erin revolted, Erin resenting him, Erin not wanting him back, Erin… broken.

He reached the garden, and looked at Mello. His back was turned on Matt.

"Hey."

Mello didn't respond.

Matt walked over, sitting beside him on the stone ledge of the low garden walls.

"Hey, man."

Mello glanced at him, hatred, jealousy and pain in his blue eyes.

"What do you want?"

"To talk."

Matt looked out over garden, thinking to himself quietly.

Was Mello going to hit him? Would he shout, yell, scream, cry? Would Mello disown him? Or would Mello forgive him? The last option was expected, but anything could happen before then.

"You would've come to talk to me before going to see **her**, Matt."

Mello glared at him.

"If I meant anything to you."

Matt shook his head, a smirk on his face.

"What?"

Mello snapped, turning to face him.

"You think this is funny? You think my pain over your abandonment is funny, Matt? I trusted you!"

Matt looked him dead in the eyes.

"I don't think this is funny, Mello, and I didn't abandon you. Don't be a drama queen."

Matt looked away again, and Mello was fuming.

"What did you just call me?"

He was livid, shouting at the other boy.

For sure, Erin was at her window, crying. Guilt-ridden pain.

Matt looked at him.

"If I was acting like this, you'd say the same, Mello, and you know it! Now stop shouting so we can talk!"

Matt had the final shout that night.

Mello sat down beside him.

"Fine."

He crossed his arms.

"But I didn't appreciate that comment."

Matt could see that Mello was biting the inside of his cheek, a bad habit of his.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

Matt smiled.

"So why are you acting like this? How is her being smart being just like Near?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Too fucking bad."

Mello looked at him.

"She's just another step for me to overcome in becoming the next L. Now I'm third best, Matt!"

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

That earned a small smile from Mello, but it was quickly replaced with a frown.

"She pretends she doesn't want to be L, but why would she still be here if she didn't? I don't trust her, Matt, and neither should you."

"Well, I do, so tough luck, Mello."

Mello glared at him.

"Matt, I'm warning you, she's bad news."

"I don't believe it. I trust her."

"She'll steal your kidneys while you sleep and sell them for money to fuel her… her… escape to Mexico."

Matt laughed at that.

Mello smiled.

"Matt…?"

Matt looked at him.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you like her? Why do you trust her?"

Matt smiled.

"Because I like her, and I trust her. Because I gave her a chance, and because I know her. Maybe you should do the same, Mello."

He rose.

"I'm going to bed. C'mon, man, let's go."

Mello rose.

"Hey, Matt?"

"Yeah?"

Mello shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I won't hate you if you still want to be her friend."

"Thanks, man."

"But you can only be friends. I won't have that kissy-kissy, boy-girl bull. Not when I'm around."

"No promises, man."

Mello smiled.

"Well, you tried. Now let's go inside, and get to bed. I'm freezing, hungry, I have to take a piss, and I'm bushed."

Mello laughed and followed Matt inside.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Matt and Mello walked down the halls.

Matt was glad Mello had forgiven him. He seemed happier than yesterday. But he hadn't seen Erin all day, and the reason he proposed to go for a walk around Wammy's was to try and find her whereabouts.

He suspected that Mello knew.

He was surprised that if Mello knew, he wasn't reluctant to come along.

He was worried as hell about Erin.

They were walking past Roger's office when they heard her voice.

Clear and crystal, sweet and gentle, but strained and full of guilt-ridden pain. Matt knew it was about Mello.

"L, sir… Roger made a mistake. I'm not as smart as half the kids here."

Mello grabbed Matt's arm, making him come to a halt.

"Interesting… now, why do you say that?"

"Well… to be honest, I heard you talking with Roger and Watari. And I'm one hundred percent sorry for eavesdropping, but I heard my name and I was worried I was in trouble."

"I see."

"L, sir, I'm really sorry, but I can't be the next you. I don't want to, and on top of that, I couldn't. I don't qualify. I'm just another kid here who's a little smarter than regular kids, but one of the kids who doesn't have a shot of becoming anything close to the next you."

"Miss… Erin, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"From what I gather, you are, in fact, smart enough. I know Roger was not mistaken. I know you're lying."

"Uh, why do you say that?"

"I've seen test scores, your work, and other things that have made my mind clear about your intelligence. There is determination, there is drive, and there is passion in your mind. You can make logical decisions, but I have faith that when the time comes, you'll make spontaneous, emotion-driven decisions that will push you forward in appropriate moments. As for the want to be me… Erin, why do you stay?"

Matt felt Mello freeze, his hand on his arm tense, gripping slightly tighter.

"L…"

Silence.

"You've made it possible for me to meet amazing people. You've given me a home. You've given me a place where I finally belong, where I fit in. I'm sorry… but would you want to leave that?"

"No, I suppose I would not."

"On top of that, I've met amazing people, all three are your top candidates as I understand. Matt's an amazing person… he's… special to me, and he's the first person to really show me kindness in my entire life, without expecting anything in return. And Near, he's very nice. He's intelligent, and it's interesting to speak with him. His views on things differ from my own, so I like being in his presence. Its also calming being near him. He's very kind once you look past the fact that he's a little too hard-ridden with logic. Then there's Mello."

Mello's grip got a little tighter on Matt's arm.

"He's so smart, and he's in touch with his emotions. He's a great person once he lets you in. He has walls around him for safety, as we all do at some point at time. He's got everything it takes to be the next you. He's determined, and he'll work at anything to get to the top, to make it the best. He wants to win. He wants to be the best he can possibly be. Mello is the perfect next L, sir. I respect him highly. He's someone I look up to."

"Erin, would you say Mello is impulsive?"

"Yes, but we need to be sometimes."

Silence.

"I understand, Erin. I know more than you think I do. I know your thoughts on me, on being like me. I must tell you, it's difficult. But I respect your honesty, and your determination for whatever path you want in life. I suspect I already know what it is. But I'm going to leave it for you to discover."

"Thank you, L. For understanding."

"You're welcome."

Silence.

"L?"

"Yes?"

"Do I have to leave? Wammy's, I mean."

"No. You're welcome to stay. I'll make sure of it, personally."

"Thank you, L."

"You're welcome, Jaime Webber."

Matt and Mello listened as Erin stood up and walked along the creaking wood.

Mello was shaking, his eyes wide, his mouth open.

Erin walked out, tears falling down her cheeks. When she saw them, her eyes widened.

"What were you two doing?"

She was angry and hurt.

That much was obvious.

"I didn't need your help, or your pity."

Mello was staring at her, angry and hurt.

Both teenagers stared each other down.

"I didn't do it for you, Mello."

Mello scoffed.

"Then who'd you do it for? L? Or Near?"

Matt shook off Mello's hand.

"Calm down."

"Shut up, Matt."

He looked at Erin, whose tears were still falling.

"I did it for me, Mello."

Mello scoffed again.

"You're such a liar."

"No, I'm not. Say what you want. I'm out of the competition. I'm not rooting for you anymore, Mello. Nor am I rooting for Near. I'm staying out of it. You're obviously too stuck-up to realize that some people actually do care about you, and have been in your corner of this entire thing all along."

Erin stormed off, crying, angry and hurt.

Mello watched her storm off and smiled.

"In my corner? She's never liked me. She's had it in for me all along. Right, Matt?"

Matt glared at Mello.

"Wrong."

Matt shook his head, looking away.

"All she wanted was for you to like her, Mello. To stop hating her. Maybe, instead of analyzing me and Near and Erin like we're lab rats, you should analyze yourself, and what's happening in your life around you."

Mello stared, shocked, at Matt.

Not once in his life had he stood up to Mello. He had always agreed, always stuck by him. But when Mello was being unfair, when Mello was being an ignorant jerk to someone Matt liked, and not only liked but like-liked, then Matt was going to stand up and say Mello was being wrong, acting too cruelly.

Matt started to walk away.

"Matt, if you leave, I'm never going to forgive you! I'll never hang out with you again! You'll be alone with that… that… freak!"

Matt turned his head.

"Come find us when you're done having a hissy fit, and when you've done some thinking."

Walking away for the first time, Matt felt empowered.

Then he remembered the look on Erin's face, the way her voice wavered, the way her hands shook.

Once again, he was helpless.

Angry and hurt.


	3. Chapter 3

Matt knocked on Erin's bedroom door.

No answer.

"Erin? It's me."

Silence.

"It's Matt, c'mon, open up."

He couldn't hear anything. He had to make sure she wasn't in her room before he abandoned the door, though.

Opening the creaking knob, his eyes scanned the room. His heart broke.

It was clean.

There was a large suitcase on her bed, open, with her belongings neatly packed inside. There were no jeans, shirts, or pairs of underwear on the floor for him to trip over. The guitar was gone. Her drawings were ripped apart, thrown onto the floor by the garbage can. Matt looked at her desk. The pencils were snapped. Everything was ruined. And he knew she ruined it, because Mello ruined her somehow.

"Erin…?"

It was a small sound, but enough for Matt to realize she was in her closet, hidden.

He opened the door and found her sitting amongst clothes that she had yet to pack, a humongous blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was done crying, but her red eyes and flushed face made it obvious, if not for the tracks the tears themselves had left.

"Matt, go away."

"No."

"Matt, please…"

She was choking on her words.

"No, Erin. I'm staying with you."

She looked up, shock in her eyes.

"You… came here? For me?"

"Why else?"

Matt laughed, and closet the closet door, then sat down with her. She opened the blanket for him, letting him into the warm corner with her. Matt wrapped his arms around her and stared at her in the dark closet quietly. He could listen to her slow, deep breaths. She was calm with him near her. She was thinking of what to say, what to do. What she could possibly give just to say thank you.

"Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you… like me?"

Matt's heart beat a little faster, his breath catching slightly, but silently.

"Yeah, of course. You're my best friend."

"Oh…"

Disappointment was clear as crystal in her voice.

"What's wrong, Erin?"

"Well… I meant like-like… you know… like, like-liking me… like I like-like you."

Matt had to repress his laughter at how incredulously cute that sounded coming from her. Then he realized, she had admitted something he had wanted to tell her all along. He must've taken a while trying to find a response, because Erin shifted uncomfortably in his arms.

"Matt?"

He could tell she was looking at him.

Focusing on him.

"Yeah…"

"Yeah…?"

"Yeah, I… I do."

Matt inwardly cursed himself for not being cooler, smoother, smarter with a response. But he was too damn happy to give two flying fucks about whether or not he sounded cool. She liked him, he liked her. And now he was waiting. Waiting to hear what on earth she would say.

"So… good."

She was smiling.

Matt almost jumped when he felt her lips on his cheek. It was shy and gentle.

Her lips never left his cheek, even when she parted to giggle nervously.

"Th-thanks…"

"You're… welcome."

Another cute, nervous giggle.

"So… you're not going to leave, right?"

"I don't know…"

"What if I begged you not to?"

Erin curled into him, the bridge of her nose resting in the crook of his neck.

"Please don't do that. I just…"

She sighed, and her breath touched something deep in the pit of Matt's stomach, something that made him feel…

"I just don't want to be here near Mello, and see him look at me like he did today, everyday. You know?"

"Yeah."

He suddenly felt nervous in this position. Her hands were gripping his black tee shirt, her legs thrown over his, straddling him in an awkward position.

Matt wasn't stupid.

He had heard the older boys talking about it. Mello wouldn't shut up about it for two months after the older boys brought in a Playboy. But Matt had scoffed. None of those naked girls brought him anything that the older boys bragged about. They had called him gay, and spread rumors about his sexual orientation. Mello had taken some abuse, too, being Matt's best friend.

But this was different.

The way Erin was close to him, the way her breath grazed his skin, the way she clung to him… it was all new.

Was this what the older boys were talking about?

"I won't leave."

Matt hugged her closer.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They stayed like that for a little longer before Erin stood up and pulled Matt up with her.

Tears fell from her eyes when she saw what she had done in her fit of anger and pain.

"I forgot about this."

"Don't worry. Roger will get you new art stuff. And, hey, you can draw new stuff. Where's… your guitar?"

"In the closet."  
"Oh, I didn't see it."

Erin walked over to her bed and kicked the suitcase off. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling through those beautiful creamy caramel eyes. Matt mustered every amount of courage he had in his body and took a deep breath.

He mentally slapped himself and gave himself a pep talk.

Walking over to the bed, he perched himself above Erin on his hands and knees, smiling at her.

"I'm glad you're s-staying, Erin."

Erin smiled.

"Me, too, Matt."

Feeling his confidence wash away, he slipped beside her, holding her close to him, and thought of a new way to approach this.

"Erin?"

"Yeah?"

"I bit my lip."

"That's… not very fun."

"Not really."

Silence.

"It hurts."

"Do you like… need a band aid or something? I think I have some OraGel kicking around somewhere…?"

"Um… never mind. It's better now."

"Oh… okay."

Matt slapped himself mentally again.

Seriously, how hard was it to get a first kiss from a girl?

"I have to do some laundry. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure, Erin."

Erin stood up and walked over to her closet.

"I'm going to change first, though, so can you wait outside?"

"Sure."

Matt stood up, biting his lip, walking out of the room.

He closed the door and tried to think of the perfect way to kiss her. He had tried confidence, but he failed. He tried a cliché antic. Fail.

How the hell was he going to do this?

Soon Erin came out, wearing a long-sleeved yellow and purple striped shirt that Matt had given her. She was wearing lightwash skinnies and bumblebee socks. She smiled.

"C'mon!"

In one hand she held a small bag of laundry, in the other she held Matt's.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Erin was facing the dryer, laughing at one of Matt's many jokes.

Matt was leaning against the washer, facing the door, his eyes on Erin.

"So beside art and music, and _**me**_, what do you like?"

Erin giggled.

"I like poetry."

Matt poised himself in his best Shakespearean pose and huffed.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, if I knew any other poem, I'd recite it for you!"

Erin laughed, and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Matt, you're _so_ poetic."

An idea struck Matt, something jogging in his memory.

"You want poetic?"

He spun Erin around, pressing his body close to hers, their faces about a foot, maybe less, apart.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, by chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, when in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this and this gives life to thee."

Erin's eyes were wide.

"Shakespeare's 18th sonnet…? How'd you…?"

"I saw you gazing oh-so lovingly at it one day on the computer, so I memorized it. Do you… not like that poem?"

"No, it's my favorite… Matt…"

She smiled.

"Thanks! That was awesome."

She closed her eyes, cocked her head, and giggled.

Matt was frustrated.

"What…?"

Erin was staring at him awkwardly.

Apparently Matt had growled or something.

"Um, Matt…?"  
"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"No."

Matt pushed away from her, and rested his back against the opposite wall.

"What's wrong?"

Erin was obviously concerned.

"I memorized an insanely long poem that makes no sense, and recited it _**all**_, and you… you…"

He shook his head.

"Seriously, what is it going to take for you to kiss me?"

Suddenly, he realized he didn't mean to say the last part out loud.

He closed his eyes.

He was an idiot.

She would never forgive him for acting so childish.

For being rude and too forward.

For…

"Matt."

He opened his eyes, looking down at her.

She smiled.

"If you had asked, you wouldn't have had to recite a poem."

Erin giggled.

Matt grabbed her arms and crashed his lips onto hers clumsily.

So much for being cool.

When Matt pulled away, both teens were bright red.

Erin smiled and giggled again.

"Matt… I… um…"

Matt let go of her arms, and sighed.

Then her arms found his neck and she leapt up, kissing him just as clumsily as he had kissed her.

Matt lifted Erin, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

Matt pushed her into the wall, flipping their position. She was light, but he didn't want to have to carry her through their kiss.

Erin pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"Thanks, Matt."

Matt smiled.

"You're welcome."


End file.
